ENG-1960 — Page 183

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HEALTH

to improve hygienic standards and general cleanliness in these

estates.

An oratorical contest, the subject of which was 'Cleanliness in the Home-What a Child can Do to Help', was sponsored for all primary and secondary school children by the Hong Kong Junior Chamber of Commerce and carried out by them together with the Urban Council, the Education Department and the Information Services Department.

A series of illustrated lectures about food-handling techniques, was given at a number of food premises during the year to educate workers in restaurants and cafes in the hygienic preparation of food.

In all these campaigns, Chinese voluntary organizations, such as the Kaifong Associations, have played a useful part.

Slaughterhouses. Food animals for the urban areas are slaugh- tered at the two public slaughterhouses in Kennedy Town and Ma Tau Kok. Despite the unsatisfactory features of these anti- quated establishments, the volume of output remained high. 1,135,976 pigs, 121,771 cattle and 12,065 sheep and goats were slaughtered during the year. Although the staff grew in proportion with the work, the congestion in the inadequate buildings made improvements virtually impossible. Plans for the new abattoirs at Kennedy Town and Cheung Sha Wan made slow but steady progress. An important change made in the layout was to add more accommodation in the pig lairages. In the original scheme this had been planned as a future development, but statistics from the existing slaughterhouses showed that the expansion would be needed earlier.

The by-products plant in Kennedy Town Slaughterhouse had another year of booming business with a total production of 143.5 tons of meat and bone meals, 155.7 tons of animal grease, and a small quantity of hoof and horn products.

Hawkers and Markets. As the population grows, demand increases for extended and up-to-date markets. Plans are under way to provide for these needs (and to clear hawkers from the streets), by altering or rebuilding many of the 42 old-fashioned retail markets and by including accommodation for hawkers in the new or altered markets. In areas where development is rapid such as resettlement estates, marketing needs are met by hawker